Playing almost an entire album of new material (which doesn't even come out until June) Madeleine Peyroux entertained a capacity audience at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley on the opening evening of a three-night residency.

The eclectic performer was even more chipper than last year's appearance, offering quirky banter in between songs throughout the show. She admitted to not being much of a joke teller, but Peyroux is indeed funny when she wants to be. 'I'm really flattered you're all here,' she said at the start of the performance. 'Makes it harder to get to the stage'.

Standin' on the Rooftop is the Georgia native's forthcoming album, and although track titles aren't yet available, it didn't stop her from introducing live versions of nearly all of them to the crowd. Peyroux mentioned towards the finale that Seattle, the first stop on her spring tour, was the first to listen to this fresh material.

Most of the new stuff was solid, like the title track and the second entry on her set list that featured a folkish background. Another number with 'Meet me in Rio' repeated in the chorus was sultry and had a tinge of Latin rhythm. But others, such as a song (possibly) called 'Don't Pick a Fight with a Poet,' was supposed to be whimsical, though it actually sounded clumsy - not something I expected from Peyroux, who's capable of penning incredibly sweet music.

Dressed in dark jeans, an untucked white shirt, long black vest, and at times a fedora, Peyroux - her hair pulled into a ponytail - occasionally swung her hands or snapped her fingers to the beat of the music.

Of course, the night didn't fade away without Peyroux dipping into older favorites like 'Don't Wait Too Long,' which showcased Barak Mori on bass and Gary Versace on piano, while a waltzy 'Dance Me to the End of Love' was simply flawless. When introducing 'You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go,' a Bob Dylan gem that includes a line about the torrid love affair between Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine, Peyroux jokingly told the crowd to imagine Sylvester Stallone's similarly sounding film character Rambo caught in the crossfire of homosexual love. The song had a nice swing and charming piano accompaniment on Thursday evening.
It's risky to perform an armload of new tunes to a completely filled venue (the couple sitting next to me at the bar took the last available seats in the house). But there were no complaints or frowns after Madeleine Peyroux's exit at Jazz Alley - because, honestly, we were fortunate just to get into the show.

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